Herald News: Despite fire, New Jerseyans will rebound

THE BOARDWALK, iconic symbol of the Jersey Shore reborn in music, myth and memory, has been part of the state's identity for more than a century. When the boardwalk in Seaside Park and Seaside Heights was engulfed in flames Thursday, the loss was felt viscerally by local residents and business owners, but what Governor Christie described as "unthinkable" also seared the soul of every Jersey resident who's ever enjoyed a walk on the old wood in late summer or been overcome by the smell of the sea.

By the time the fast-moving fire that started just after 2 p.m. had been brought under control late in the evening, roughly four blocks of the fabled Seaside Park boardwalk had been ravaged by flames. Business owners who had endured months of rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy found themselves in familiar emotional territory, thoughts of "starting over" heavy on their minds.

The miracle is that no human life was lost in the carnage. The fire, aided by winds out of the south measured at up to 30 mph, moved rapidly — sweeping under the boardwalk, feeding off it as it moved — even as first responders poured water by the gallons.

Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd said he knew "right away" that the fire, which destroyed dozens of businesses in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, was going to be big. "As soon as you have tar [roofs], 30-mile-per-hour winds and a fire, you've got trouble," Boyd said.

There's no way to fully express the public appreciation for the hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders and other volunteers who risked life and limb to battle such a furious boardwalk fire. Some of those firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters, of course, are used to confronting the elements as they battle fires, but not the sort of winds they were dealing with Thursday.

Those winds sent embers from one part of the boardwalk to another and even bounced them onto residents' decks. As The Record reported, after several hours of using hydrants and faced with low water pressure, firefighters turned to using a system that siphoned thousands of gallons of water from the bay. The forward march of the blaze was halted only when a section of boardwalk was ripped up and a ditch dug to prevent further spreading.

On Friday morning, people like Daniel Shauger, manager of the Funtown Arcade on the boardwalk, surveyed damage and faced the prospect of recovering once again. His business had survived Sandy comparatively unscathed, and now, like his neighbors, he was faced with more uncertainty about the future.

As the ashes from this fire are swept up and burned wood and other debris are dragged away, we expect to see the Seaside community rise up and, with the help of neighbors from one end of the state to the other, see residents rebuild lives and businesses the best they can. As for the boardwalk, its reconstruction will take time and resilience, which on the Jersey Shore is held in great supply.